What’s the (Quantum) Matter with Black Holes?

by Emil Mottola

Tuesday 9 Jun 2026, 15:30 → 16:30 US/Eastern

Large Seminar Room

Abstract: Classical General Relativity together with conventional equations of state suggest that in complete gravitational collapse a singular state of matter with infinite density could be reached, to what is popularly called a “black hole.” In addition to its interior singularities, in which space and time itself are crushed out of existence, the main characteristic feature of a black hole is its apparent horizon, the surface of finite area at which outwardly directed light rays are first trapped. The loss of information to the outside world this implies gives rise to additional difficulties with well-established principles of quantum mechanics and statistical physics.

Gravitational vacuum condensate stars (‘gravastars’) provide a resolution of these paradoxes, within an effective field theory (EFT) approach to gravity similar to that common in nuclear physics. This EFT must take into account the macroscopic effects of the quantum conformal anomaly, and vacuum energy as a Bose-Einstein condensate. Gravastars have a non-singular vacuum condensate interior and physical surface rather than an event horizon. The possibility of subjecting this hypothesis to gravitational wave observations will be discussed.

 

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